1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a droplet discharge device, a method for discharging a droplet, a method for forming a pattern, a pattern formed member, an electro-optical device, and an electronic apparatus.
2. Related Art
A droplet discharge device discharging a functional liquid as droplets from a head to apply the droplets on a workpiece, for example, includes the head to discharge the functional liquid as the droplets, a stage to place the workpiece, a maintenance unit to regulate or recover a droplet discharge property of the head, head moving means to move the head between the stage and the maintenance unit, and a controller to control these operations. The head is set to face a region of the workpiece, and then a driving voltage for discharging droplets is applied to the head so as to make it a driven state. As a result, the droplets are discharged from the head to the region serving as a discharged region. In the device, if it is necessary to regulate or recover the droplet discharge property of the head, or to temporarily stop the discharge operation, driving the head is once stopped and held in a waiting state, during which the head is regulated or recovered. Upon completion of the process, the head is driven again to discharge droplets. Refer to JP-A-2004-209429.
In this regard, the temperature of the functional liquid may differ in a state where the head is provided. This is because, for example, in a case where the head is set in a waiting state to regulate the droplet discharge property of the head, and in another case where the head is in a driven state while discharging droplets to the workpiece, heat caused by driving the head is differently transferred to the functional liquid inside the head between the cases. Accordingly, the viscosity of the functional liquid differs between the waiting and the driven states of the head. This causes a problem in that a desired droplet amount is not obtained in the head driven state if a driving voltage calculated based on a droplet amount measured in a waiting state of the head for regulating the liquid discharge property of the head is applied to the head in the driven state without change. Because the viscosity change of the functional liquid due to the temperature change of the functional liquid is not taken into consideration in calculating the driving voltage, resulting in the discharged droplet amount being changed in the head driven state.